New Audi RS 6 Avant Plus Details Leaked

Audi hasn’t launched a more extreme ‘Plus’ version of its RS 6 since 2004 but a new one is planned, based on the latest RS 6 Avant wagon sold overseas. Rumors of the car first emerged a year ago but now we have the first official details, courtesy of a leak made by an Audi dealer in the U.K.

Details of the new RS 6 Avant Plus were posted to the dealer's website and then quickly removed, but not before the guys at GT Spirit were able to jot it all down. According to the leaked information, the new RS 6 Avant Plus will get a 600-horsepower version of the stock RS 6 Avant’s 4.0-liter TFSI V-8, which represents a gain of 40 hp. The hotter model is also expected to benefit from "greater agility" but there was no mention of how exactly.

It’s likely the car will see suspension and brake upgrades to improve its agility, and we’ve also heard that some weight-saving measures will be employed. Audi’s previous TT RS Plus model may hint at what’s in store for the new RS 6 Avant Plus. The car came with more power under the hood, revised gearbox settings, uprated brakes and some carbon fiber components.

Unlike previous Plus models, production won’t be limited, just as production of the TT RS Plus and the R8 V10 Plus isn’t limited today. It also appears that Audi is speeding up the rollout of its Plus models, which previously were launched towards the end of a model’s run. The latest RS 6 Avant made its debut in 2012 and we expect the covers to come off this new Plus version later this year.

Sadly, there are still no plans to bring the RS 6 over to the U.S. market even though BMW and Mercedes-Benz have had considerable success with their respective rivals, the M5 and E63 AMG.